Chapter 8.4, Problem 70E

This activity is a group research project intended for four or five people. Present your research in a seminar on the history of interest and banking. The seminar should last about 30 minutes. Address the following questions: When was interest first charged on loans? How was lending money for a fee opposed historically? What is usury? What connection did banking and banking and interest rates play in the historic European rivalries between Christians and Jews? When and where were some of the highest interest rates charged? What were the rates? Where does the word in interest come from? What is the origin of the word shylock? What is the difference between usury and interest in modern times? What is the history of a national bank in the United States?